Should I take the standard deduction? Or should I itemize deductions?

The IRS allows almost all tax filers a standard tax deduction amount that lowers their taxable income. This figure changes each year as adjusted for inflation; and the figure varies for different filers in different situations.

When filing their federal income tax return, taxpayers can choose to either take this standard deduction, or they can itemize their deductions. Whether to itemize deductions on your tax return depends on how much you spent for certain items such as the following: